[kiranlal]

Please dont put Ayurveda and herbalism in one one cattegary .
ayurveda is a science of life it is not herbalism there is a lot of preperations in Ayurveda which is herbal ,
Ayurveda is the science of life , it is not just a medical system.
there is a lot of problems in ayurveda especialy with drug standerdisation but i dont think it is only in India , it is possible even in any develped countries .we have 100s of examples of such cases.

[SANJAY_DEL]

Ayurveda is an ancient medical science, now undergoing modernization, and unfortunately bastardization too, as many Ayurvedic practitioners take to prescribing allopathic (Western) drugs and therapies.
But no herbal mumbo jumbo and quasi-yogic naturopathy can be linked with the science of Ayurveda.

[kiranlal]

Sanjay you should avoid AYURVDIC practitioners of Kerala from your list

[SANJAY_DEL]

I do admire the Ayurvedic tradition in Kerala that has led to a great revival of our ancient heritage. It certainly has evoked renewed interest in Ayurveda across the world.

[drzog]

NATUROPATHY AND AYURVEDA are diverse systems of healing, neither is " mumbo-jumbo"... each has a belief in vitality. Western herbalism is one branch of modern naturopathy these days, but like Ayurvedic science it has many other traditional aspects, should one choose to make more than a cursory examination of history and current practice.

Naturopathy or Nature cure is a constructive method of treatment which aims at removing the basic cause of disease through the rational use of the elements freely available in nature. It is not only a system of healing, but also a way of life, in tune with the internal vital forces or natural elementscomprising the human body. It is a complete revolution in the art and science of living.
Although the term ‘ naturopathy’ is of relatively recent origin, the philosophical basis and several of the methods of nature cure treatments are ancient. It was practised in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Hippocrates, the father of medicine ( 460-357 B.C.) strongly advocated it.
The modern methods of nature cure originated simultaneously in Germany and North America in the 19th century. The idea of drugless healing spread throughout the world. The subsequent enlargement and developed the various methods of natural healing followed. The whole mass of knowledge was later collected under one name, Naturopathy. The credit for the name Naturopathy goes to Dr. Benedict Lust ( 1872 - 1945), and hence he is called the Father of Naturopathy.

Nature cure is based on the realisation that man is born healthy and strong and that he can stay as such as living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some inherited affliction, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing.
Fresh air, sunshine, a proper diet, exercise, scientific relaxation, constructive thinking and the right mental attitude, along with prayer and meditation all play their part in keeping a sound mind in a sound body.
Nature cure believes that disease is an abnormal condition of the body resulting from the violation of the natural laws. Every such violation has repercussions on the human system in the shape of lowered vitality, irregularities of the blood and lymph and the accumulation of waste matter and toxins. Thus, through a faulty diet it is not the digestive system alone which is adversely affected. When toxins accumulate, other organs such as the bowels, kidneys, skin and
lungs are overworked and cannot get rid of these harmful substances as quickly as they are produced.
Besides this, mental and emotional disturbances cause imbalances of the vital electric field within which cell metabolism takes place, producing toxins. When the soil of this electric filed is undisturbed, disease-causing germs can live in it without multiplying or producing toxins. It is only when it is disturbed or when the blood is polluted with toxic waste that the germs multiply
and become harmful.

The whole philosophy and practice of nature cure is built on three basic principles. These principles are based on the conclusions reached from over a century of effective naturopathic treatment of diseases in Germany, America and Great Britain. They were strongly influenced by the North American Indian traditional use of herbs and steaming for febrile disease.

The first and most basic principle of nature cure is that all forms of disease are due to the same cause, namely, the accumulations of waste materials and bodily refuse in the system. These waste materials in the healthy individual are removed from the system through the organs of
elimination. But in the diseased person, they are steadily piling up in the body through years of faulty habits of living such as wrong feeding, improper care of the body and habits contributing to enervation and nervous exhaustion such as worry, overwork and excesses of all kinds. It follows
from this basic principle that the only way to cure disease is to employ methods which will enable the system to throw off these toxic accumulations. All natural treatments are actually directed towards this end.
The second basic principle of nature cure is that all acute diseases such as fevers, colds, inflammations, digestive disturbances and skin eruptions are nothing more than self-initiated efforts on the part of the body to throw off the accumulated waste materials and that all chronic
diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, rheumatism, asthma, kidney disorders, are the results of continued suppression of the acute diseases through harmful methods such as drugs, vaccines, narcotics and gland extracts.
The third principle of nature cure is that the body contains an eleborate healing mechanism which has the power to bring about a return to normal condition of health, provided right methods are employed to enable it to do so. In other words, the power to cure disease lies within the body itself and not in the hands of the doctor.

Historically modern drug based allopathic medicine would not be possible without herbs. Today most of the new Biological response modifier drugs, such as those for Rheumatoid Arthritis (TNF-alpha inhibitors) and some new anti-cancer therapies derived from Turmeric (Curcuma longa) are based on plant compounds once again, as in the days when morphine, quinine etc etc etc were all the rage.

[jwitt]

I've been studying Ayurveda in little snips for the past couple of years. It was very confusing at first but really makes sense the more I understand. Dr. Robert Svoboda wrote a book named "Prakriti" which is readily available from Amazon.com. Dr. Svoboda was one of the first Americans (or maybe the first) to earn an Ayurvedic degree in India. He has a very easy to read style of writing. I found this book to be the most clarifying by far and always recommend it to anyone interested in ayurveda.

[Sama]

also check out books by Dr. David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri). He is one of the few westerners recognized in India as a Vedacharya, and has written many books on ayurveda, vedic astrology, vedanta, hinduism, yoga and tantra.

His three books:
Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization;
Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness; and
Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses: Spiritual Secrets of Ayurveda

are excellent resources

jwitt, if you have been studying ayurveda in New Mexico, then you probably already know David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad

[anilkhare]

lovely thread.. please update us on the vikrutis..


although this is confusing I am dark and with a fat body ( due to my sedentry lifestyle) ..my assessment of the test shows its 29 pitta and 8 of kapha

so should I categorise my self as PITA or PITA 80 and 20 kapha

[Darmabum]

Just wanted to add another book to the list: The Chemistry of Joy by Henry Emmons. It just came out this year. He is an M.D. but in psychiatry and makes us of ayurvedic tradition in his practice.

A friend of mine has recently taken the dosha test, and has come out as 50/50 . . . what's to be done in that case? She feels she needs to "do something" but can't seem to decide which way to go . . . any suggestions?
Thank you
Scott

[Sama]

Here is a link to Dr. Vasant Lad's Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, USA. The link contains dosha tests, recipes, meditations, and other sources of ayurvedic information.

[SANJAY_DEL]

Nice thread.
I'm MD in "Modern" Medicine, but I always wish I could assimilate some of the concepts of Ayurveda and have a more holisitic approach towards the art and science of healing.

[jwitt]

Yes, being in Santa Fe for the past year the names David Frawley and Dr. Lad came up quite frequently. I have heard that Dr. Lad is an incredible teacher but I don't think he is quite as good of a writer. I have not read anything by David Frawley yet. I was in Santa Fe studying mostly Yoga so the Ayurvedic teachers were more on the periphery for me.

In response to those of you who took a dosha test and are wondering what to do if you come out as a combination of doshas I can say this: Don't forget that we all have all three doshas in us, it is more a matter of making sure the they remain in balance.

The more I learn and understand about Ayurveda, the more I know when and what to eat, think, and do depending on my mood, surroundings, etc. If someone is inerested in learning about Ayurveda I would suggest trying to understand the three doshas and how they relate to our existence rather than trying to figure out the perfect diet and lifestyle for your particular predisposition. Over time it will become clear how to use the information. I hope this helps make sense of a very dense topic.

[Acupuncturist]

Hi there,

First ever post ... read the mails for a long time and they've been an invaluable source / guide for my trips to India ... so thank you all.

Just returned from India, going to Goa, Mumbai, Varanasi and Bodhgaya ... wonderful trip ... the men in northern india seem to have severe bladder weakness and a lack of respect for their home but apart from that amazing!!

However, quick (I'll try) advice about ayurvedic healthcare in Goa ... I have suffered from Chronic excema for many years, and so before the trip ... (and I have indian friends), I tried to find a respected clinic ... eventually chose Saligao Clinic (nice website and seemed professional) ... long story ... but to be very brief they wanted to charge western prices for relaxation massages, with very little medicine ... the first day I hung around for 9hrs ... had yoga, saw a very young doctor for 3 minutes who said happily he could cure me, prescribed a severe panchkarma (detox)and got given a relaxation massage which after stating my worries about my skin included using a special poultice (herbs wrapped in cloth) ... Day 2 ... we called 3 times but they never turned up, we think they felt out of their depth. On the first day we witnessed a polished marketing technique being applied to a constant stream of middle-aged western women about a 10 day relaxation course ... my heart sank.

Day 3 ... I approached a local auyvedic massage centre (their are hundreds around goa), explained my situation and asked if they knew a respected Indian auyvedic doctor. Sure enough I got passed a telephone number for a doctor in Panjim (the captital). Saw him that afternoon, (after waiting in an all Indian queue) ... the chat lasted 20 mins, he said ayurveda would improve my health, but not cure it, stated that massage was nice for me, but served no real health benefits, the poultice applied was for muscle aches ... not excema, and the severe detox they had advised was not necessary ... he gave me 2 months supply of treatments (oils / tablets / powders) for £15.00 and his charge was £1.00. .... Then we found out that he also works at the Bambolim Beach Resort (a 5 star hotel).

In short my advice for ayurveda in Goa, is have a relaxation massage anywhere ... (within limits) and then find a local respected indian doctor.



On a final note,

we are the charioteer ... our body is the chariot, our five sense the horses, the reins our mind, we are the soul, the atman ... we are not our mind

Namaste x

[almond]

Ayurvedic physicians usually are certified from Govt Ayurvedic Colleges and are a pretty rare breed. Most of em dabbling in Ayurveda in touristy places like Goa tend to be quacks out to make a quick buck.

Actually the 'real Ayurvedic physicians' are an even rarer breed. Actually there used to be one such Ayurvedic physician (a family of physicians actually), in Kerala. They go by the name of "Mooss". I was extremely lucky to live near one such ancestral Mooss 'tharavadu'/mana.

They are Vedic Brahmins who have been practicing Ayurveda since millenia. They are the 'gilt-edged' creme-de-la-creme of Ayurvedic phsycians. They provide service free-of-charge. They also prepare medicines in very small quantities. But usually you will need to visit them personally. You will find such families in North India too, but you will have to do some research.

There are very few really genuine commercial Ayurvedic centres that provide complete care. One such is "Kotakkal Arya Vaidya Sala" in 'Kottakal' Kerala. It has branches all over India.

They are usually fully booked throughout the year, since they set the yardstick in Ayurvedic treatment in India. You will have to take a prior appointment and commit dates probably a month in advance to gain access.

[Nick-H]

There are many Ayurvedic docs who are not part of the tourist trail. Local people who are more used to paying Rs15 to visit a doctor than Rs1000 for a massage use them.

The Kerala-hotel massage experience is certainly a wonderful experience, much to be recommended (my favourite at Thapovan, near Trivandrum) and the effect can be far, far deeper than just sorting out a stiff muscle or two.